How to heighten the effect.
To achieve thinner cookies than I’ve done, melt the butter completely before adding it to the sugar mix. Then drop the oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage melting and spreading before the egg proteins firm up. A higher fat European butter has a sharper melting point, and is a sure-fire way to achieve spread.
Another way to go is to use extra large or jumbo eggs, which will introduce more liquid to the equation. Still not enough? Then increase the butter by 50% and melt it. To achieve crispier cookies, increase the proportion of white sugar vis-à-vis brown sugar. Don’t take away the brown sugar completely, since you’re relying on it for that caramelly taste and brown color. However white sugar firms into harder, more candy-like structures, giving the cookie a nice, satisfying crunch.
Hey Joe,
A few weeks ago I made the best chocolate chip cookie batch I’ve ever produced. They were my perfect ideal: thin, crisp edges (and bottom) with a thicker, chewy center.
I realized after the fact that I’d bought extra large eggs this time. Could that really make the entire difference?
I’m trying to figure out if I should bother using ~2.5 large eggs (to mimic the effect) in the future, or whether it was some sort of perfect storm of temperature, mixing, and ingredients that would be hard to replicate. 🙂
I must confess that even with all my cookie-making experience I’m still at a loss from time to time on why I get X or Y result with chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes they truly have a mind of their own.
However extra egg absolutely makes thinner cookies. More liquid = more spread. So, you should be able to repeat the result by buying the larger eggs again!
Cheers,
– Joe